The Beat of My Heart
by TVJunkie1013
Summary: SportaSteph. It's Stephanie's 18th birthday and she's made some plans ... I said it was rated Mature in the actual story, but it's really kind of more towards the Teen side.


**Title:** The Beat of My Heart  
**Author:** Me  
**Pairing:** Sportacus/Stephanie  
**Prompt:** #10 Years  
**Rating:** Mature  
**Word Count:** 2582  
**Disclaimer:** Magnus owns LazyTown … not me. Hillary Duff owns Beat of My Heart … not me.  
**Summary:** Future fic. It's Stephanie's 18th birthday and she's made some interesting plans …

**Warning:** Even though I've put Stephanie's age at 18 in this fic, I know that some people are still squicked by this pairing. If that's you … I suggest you don't read it.

P.S. I hate the ending.

* * *

_I'm thinking about letting it out. I wanna give in, I wanna go out.  
__Been looking around, I've finally found the rhythm of love.  
__The feeling of sound, it's making a change.  
__The feeling is strange, it's coming right back, right back in my range.  
__Not worried about, anything else.  
__I'm waking up to the beat of my ... to the beat of my ..._

Stephanie had been waiting for ten years - ten long, frustrating years - for this moment to arrive. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and the person she saw staring back at her was no longer a little girl of eight. No. Today was her 18th birthday and she was every bit the woman her age implied.

Her body was curved and soft in all the right places, yet firmly muscled and finely toned as well. She turned sideways and the corners of her mouth curled upward into a mischievous grin. Her perfectly formed breasts strained against the tight pink jumper she always wore. Her hands traveled down the length of her torso as she smoothed the material against her skin.

The smirk grew into a full smile. She was definitely not a little girl anymore.

* * *

_To the beat of my heart. The beat of my heart. The beat of my heart.  
__It tears us apart.  
__The beat of my heart. The beat of my heart. The beat of my heart.  
__Now I'm back to the start.  
__To the beat of my ... to the beat of my ... to the beat of my heart._

During the party, his eyes followed her everywhere she went. Stephanie could feel their heat burning into her. Yet, every time she turned his way, he would quickly glance in the other direction - but not before she saw a sheepish grin forming on his lips and a crimson stain spreading across his chiseled face.

Each time he did it, Stephanie could only think of one thing - the plans she had made for later that evening. And the fact that Sportacus was obviously noticing all of the trouble she'd gone through to look like this, made her plan all the more delicious. Especially because she'd done it for him. Through the present opening, the super-long speech from Bessie, and the cake eating, Stephanie's anticipation grew. She felt as if she might burst at any second, but finally the party was over.

Sportacus was one of the last to leave. He helped clean up and walked her home. As he was leaving, he leaned in and gave her a tight hug. "Happy birthday, Stephanie," he said, smiling his thousand-watt smile, "I'll see you tomorrow." He squeezed her one final time and turned to leave.

"You'll be seeing me a lot more of me much sooner than tomorrow," Stephanie muttered under her breath.

"What?" Sportacus turned back, a confused expression on his face.

"Uh … nothing. I just said I'd see you then."

Sportacus cocked his head to the side and studied her for a minute. He could always tell when she was lying and Stephanie felt like kicking herself for saying that out loud.

"Are you sure?"

"Uh huh …" she replied, noncommittally, wincing inwardly at the falseness in her tone.

"Okay," he paused and eyed her suspiciously. "If you say so. See you tomorrow."

"See ya!" she shouted cheerfully, but to her ears she sounded more guilty than cheery. But it didn't matter anyway because Sportacus was gone in a flash. She watched him climb up into the airship and once he was completely out of sight, she slapped herself on the forehead.

"Ugh! You are soooo stupid, Stephanie!" she whispered harshly, admonishing herself. "Damn that superhero hearing." Stephanie turned and disappeared into her uncle's house. She had work to do.

* * *

_I'm up from my down. I turn it around.  
__I'm making it back. I'm not gonna drown.  
__I'm taking a stance. I won't miss my chance.  
__I want you to see, I'm not scared to dance.  
__The way that you feel, could never be real.  
__I want you to know, I finished the deal.  
__So I'm saying to you, I'll always be true to the rhythm inside.  
__To the beat of my ... to the beat of my ..._

Stephanie waited in the shadows and watched. When the ladder came down, her breath caught. Sportacus slid down the rungs silently, his muscles rippling in the moonlight. Her skin tingled at the sight of him. He dropped to the ground and began to stretch. Stephanie smiled as she looked on. She knew his schedule almost as well as her own, and when she had figured out that his twice-weekly midnight run around LazyTown would fall on the night of her birthday, she'd been ecstatic.

It made her plan that much easier.

As he limbered up, she began to think about the day they'd met. The minute she saw him, Stephanie knew that they were meant to be together. But she was only eight then, and she knew it was impossible. So, she held on to her fantasy of them; kept it locked deep down inside of her heart. And she waited. With each day, they grew closer and closer. And over the years, Stephanie became more and more aware of the fact that Sportacus felt the same way she did. It was obvious; she could see it reflected in his eyes every time he looked at her. But he was an honorable man -- and after all, she was just a little girl.

Now, the time had come. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman with wants and needs. And Sportacus, though honorable, was still a man. They were each other's perfect match. The time had come to move things forward, and Stephanie was ready.

Sportacus jumped to his feet, his shoes slapping the sidewalk beneath him, startling Stephanie from her reverie. Her eyes snapped back to him. One more stretch and Sportacus was gone; nothing more than a ghost sprinting off into the darkness.

Stephanie quickly stood and climbed swiftly up into the airship. She'd only been here once before and that had been six years ago, but Sportacus had shown her everything. How to open all the hidden doors, what to push and how to push it. Taking a deep breath, Stephanie emptied her pack and began a routine of flipping, somersaulting and cart wheeling. When she was finished, the airship had been completely transformed.

Candles were placed on every available surface and their flickering light filled the space with a warm, golden glow. Fresh strawberries and sparkling water sat atop the bedside table. And the bed … well the bed was out and filled with one very happy, very naked Stephanie.

Again, she waited. But this time, she knew the wait wouldn't be a long one. She snuggled closer into Sportacus' pillow, surrounding herself with the scent of him. Stephanie felt perfectly at ease here in his bed. There wasn't one bit of discomfort within her. It was as if she'd come home.

"Ladder!"

His voice, strong and sure, rang through the space and Stephanie got herself ready. She propped herself up on one elbow and adjusted the fluffy, white comforter so that it was only covering certain parts of her body. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she listened as he climbed up into the airship. The startled expression on his face almost made her giggle, but she held it in.

"Hello?" he called out, squinting into the dimness, confusion coloring his tone. He stepped into the space and the door slipped shut beneath his feet. "Who's here?"

"Sportacus," she responded, her voice deep, breathy.

His eyes snapped into focus and he shifted his gaze to her. She heard him inhale sharply, and she could almost see his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed roughly. The thought of running her tongue over his throat popped into her head and she felt her pulse begin to race.

"Stephanie?" He took a tentative step forward. "Is that you?"

"Were you expecting a different naked woman to be up here in your bed?" she questioned as a low, throaty chuckle escaped her lips.

"No, of course not," he replied and began to shift nervously from foot to foot.

"Well, that's good because," he gaze slid down his chest to his groin and she smiled when she saw the obvious erection pushing out the front of his suit. He noticed that she was staring and dropped his hands in embarrassment. It made her laugh again. "I have some plans for this evening and they don't include anyone but you and me."

She slipped out of bed, pulling the blanket along with her as she rose, and began to walk towards him. With each step she took, Stephanie allowed more of her covering to slide away. When she finally reached him, the comforter was laying on the ground behind her. As Sportacus' stunned eyes swept over her body, Stephanie couldn't help but blush. Hot crimson burned across her face as goosebump dotted her flesh.

"Stephanie …"

"Shhhhhhh," she quieted him by placing one finger against his lips. "Don't say anything." Her fingertips traced over his face and down his muscled arm until she reached his hand. She braided her fingers into his and began to lead him over to the bed. "No words. No questions. Just come with me."

She smiled when he allowed her to pull him along. Stephanie knew that Sportacus didn't relinquish control easily or often. She also knew that he'd be back in control soon, so she took full advantage of the situation.

"Now," she said, glancing over him thoughtfully as she turned him so his back was to the bed. "How 'bout we get you out of this very-sexy-yet-severely-restrictive superhero suit?"

As she raised her hands to undress him, Sportacus stopped her with his own hands. His fingers wrapped around her hands and he brought them up to his chest.

"Stephanie, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I do!" he cried out, dropping her hands and his gaze as he spoke. "You know I do! I love everyone in LazyTown."

"No, Sportacus," she reached forward and clasped him on his chin, forcing his eyes to meet hers, "you know that's not what I mean. Are you in love with me?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead he stood in front of her, searching her eyes with his own. Then, he leaned in slowly and brushed his lips softly across hers. Stephanie felt electricity shoot through her body at the contact. She wanted to grab him; to wrap her hands in his hair and pull him in. She didn't. There was time for that later.

"Yes," he whispered as they separated. "I am. I do."

"Well," she said, shoving the hat and goggles from his head and sliding her hands beneath the collar of his blue, skin-tight suit, "what are we waiting for?" Stephanie pulled once and the material split apart easily. It fell to the floor with a whoosh and she slapped her hands together, celebrating her job well done.

"How did you know how …?"

"I pay attention," she said with a wink. "And maybe, just maybe, I might have done a little bit of stalking." Stephanie made a small gesture with her thumb and forefinger. "Are you gonna turn me in to the cops?" She thrust her hands towards him. "Handcuff me? Take me I'm yours."

"I don't think so," he laughed heartily. "I've never had a stalker before. I'm flattered."

"You should be. It's almost impossible to stalk a super-hero, even if he is slightly above average."

"How'd you do it if it's almost impossible?"

"There's always a way, Sportacus. Always."

"I see," he replied with a smirk. "So, what else do you know about me?"

"Just that you talk too much!" Stephanie gave him a shove and he began to tumble backwards onto the bed. Before he fell over, he reached out and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her down with him. They landed, together, on the bed. Their laughter filled the airship. It echoed off of the walls until finally fading away into the ether.

"Well, that was certainly less than graceful," Sportacus said as they began to settle down.

For a moment, neither said a word. The silence grew between them as each slowly came to the realization that they were in bed, together, Stephanie on top of Sportacus, and they were both naked. Their eyes locked. Sportacus opened his mouth to speak, but Stephanie pressed her lips against his before one word could be spoken. She felt his body automatically stiffen beneath her. Still, Stephanie pressed on, moving her mouth over his tenderly but insistently until all the tenseness drained from his muscles. She pushed her tongue between his lips and was surprised when his met hers. Her pulse quickened as his strong hands slid up the backs of her thighs. One came to a rest in the small of her back. The other traced a line along her spine and up into her hair. His fingers wove into the silken pink strands and he pulled her tighter, deepening their kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Stephanie felt dizzy. Her body was humming and her skin was tingling pleasantly. Sportacus rolled out from underneath her and flipped her onto her back. She smiled up at him as he hovered above her.

"May I?" he asked politely, trailing one of his fingers down the center of her torso.

Stephanie could only nod as he began to explore her. With his hands, fingers, tongue and lips, he memorized each and every inch of her body. He took his time; starting at her forehead and slowly moving over the length of her, pausing here, pausing there, all the way down to the tips of her toes. By the time Sportacus made his way back up to her lips, Stephanie was in agony. Her body was screaming for him.

"Sportacus," she managed to breathe out as she arched into him.

His strong hands wrapped around her legs and he lifted her onto his lap. She could feel the heat of him burning against her core and she heard herself whimper. Then he entered her and everything else fell away.

* * *

_To the beat of my ...  
__To the beat of my ...  
__To the beat of my heart._

Sweaty and spent, they lay together, waiting for their breathing to return to normal; their pulses to stop racing. Sportacus spooned himself around Stephanie, wrapping her in a tight embrace. She snuggled in closer, enjoying the feel of his muscled frame pressed along the length of her body; his heart beating warmly against her back.

"You have no idea …" she whispered sleepily as he nuzzled at the back of her neck.

"Oh, I think I do," he replied, dotting her shoulder with soft kisses. "I was there for those ten years too, Stephanie. Believe me, I know."

"Mmmmmmhmmmm," she mumbled in agreement. Her eyes slipped shut. "I love you, Sportacus."

"I love you too, Stephanie." He tucked the blanket in around them and settled back into his place behind her. "Happy birthday."

**End**


End file.
